Double-piston internal-combustion engine.



l. HALTENBERGER.

DOUBLE PSTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINEA APPLICAUON mso rhs. 13, w14

,gufif1 U an@ I o, B ma? AA/KAM ym-I NVM" 60 Z a l A TTURNE'V W/TNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULES HALTENBERGER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MIDv-WEST EQUIP- MENT COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF `nELAARE.

DOUBLE-PISTON INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed February 13, 1914. Serial No. 818,507.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J UnEs HALTENBERGER, a citizen of Hungary, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Double-Piston Internal-Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to increase the efficiency of internal combustion engines, especially high speed engines of the sleeve valve type. To this end, fundamentally, I provide a second or supplementary piston, which is preferably a tubular or cylindrical shell and is interposed between the main piston and the cylinder and serves also as a sleeve valve, and interconnect the main piston and the supplementary piston so that the latter makes one-half the number of reoiprocations of the former and moves during the explosion period of the engine at the most advantageous part of its movement for transforming the force of the explosion into motion.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a high speed engine in which there is but a single supplementary piston, which also serves as a sleeve valve, though it is obvious that this is merely one illustrative embodiment of my invention.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, with some parts in elevation, through a cylinder of a high speed internal combustion engine embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a cylinder of an engine embodying a modified form of my invention; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a piston ring used in connection with the supplementary piston `in the form of engine shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the cycle of operations for the crank shaft; and Fig. 5 is a similar diagram showing the corresponding cycle of operations for the supplementary piston and the supplementary piston shaft.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder 10, shown as water-jacketed, is provided with an inlet port or ports 11 and an exhaust port 12, and reciprocable within this cylinder 10 is a main piston 13. A second or supplementary piston 14, in the form of a cylindrical shell, is interposed between the inner surface of the cylinder 10 and the outer surface of the piston 13, and is pro-l against the inner surface of the supplemen-` tary piston 14, this depressed cylinder head being provided with one or more ports 18 in radial alinement with the ports 11, so that when the ports 15 donot register with the ports 11 the closure is a double one. In this form of my invention, the inlet ports 11 and 18 are in a higher horizontal plane than is the exhaust port 12, the latter being sufficiently low sothat it is below the lower end of the depressed cylinder head 17. Thus the upper end of the supplementary piston 14 extends up intoan annular space 19 formed by the cylinder 10 and its depressed Vcylinder head, andv this space is connected with the space within the cylinder by one or more ports 20 extending' throughthe cylinrcylinder head 17 is provided with the usual spark plug 21.

The piston 13 is connected by a pitman 25 to an eccentric portion 26 of the crank shaft 27 of the engine. The crank shaft 27'is connected to aV supplementary-piston shaft 28 by gearing 29, shown as intermeshing spur gears, of the proper gear ratio to produce one rotation of the shaft 28 for every two rotations of the shaft 27. is provided with an eccentric ortion 30, for each cylinder of the engine i the engine is a multi-cylinder engine, and this eccentric portion 30 carries a collar 31 within which said eccentric portion can rotate. Pivoted to this collar 31 on a pivot bolt 32 transverse to theI axis of the shaft 28 is -an arm 33, which fits between two flanges 34 projecting laterally from the supplementary piston 14, the arm 33 being pivoted to these flanges 34 on a pivot bolt 35 parallel to the bolt 32 and transverse to the flanges 34. This connection constrains the movement of the arm 33 relative to the supplementary piston 14 to be in a plane parallel to the flanges 34 The shaft 23 and aboutl the pivot bolt 35 as a center. so that as the shaft "28 is rotated the supplementallyr piston' 14 is caused to niove both axiall)Y and circumferentially in a closed path of one loop which is nearly circular in form. Either the-,axialor the eireunifer- Vcntial componentof this movement is substantially i'n accordance with the law .of sines. rv reason of-the two to`one gearing 251 the nuivenient in-this -path is completed once in each two revolutions of the-crank `shaft 27. The ports 15 and 1G are caused to cooperate with the ports 11 and 155. and 1;. respeetivelv. as the supplementar v piston 1l moves in this path. an'd to do so at the proper times` to admit the explosive mixture of the space within the, cylinder and to allow the burnt gases to escape from the cylinder at the proper times in the c vcle of operations. no attempt being made to show the exact location of thc ports 15V and 10 circumferentiallv of the supplementary piston 14.

'l`he parts are shown in the rela-tive positions` which lthe)- occupy at -the beginning of theA explosion period of the engine. This explosion period is considered as beginning at the highestf point of the eomln'essing movementof the pistou f'. andvaslending when the exhaust opens. at which latter time the force of the explosion on the. piston terminates. This opening of the exhaust is before the piston 13 reaches the end of its downward stroke. and in high speed engines this opening of the exhaust ma occur as niuc'h as GO before the crank shaft 27 reaches its lowermost position. so` that the explosion' period 190o off-'crank shaft movement. as illustrated in Fig. 4. During this 120O of crank shaft-movement the-entire power from the explosion-must be obtained; this angle varies. of course. in different engines. The exhaust will thus be open during approximately 24.00 of crank shaft. movement. in this ease. in order to allow suflicient ltime for exhaust. `qimilarlv. the inlet. which is opened about the time of the closure ot the exhaust` will remain open until the crank 26 has passed its lowest position.y in oi'iler .to permit more complete filling of the Acylinders with the. explosive mixture on high speed: in the diagram this prolongation of the inlet opening is assumed to be 15. Thisleaves 135 for the compression period.' These angles are merely by wa)1 of example` of course. and will he' varied velv considerabl v in differentengines. rl`he corresponding movements of the valve shaft 2S. 4its crank or eccentric portion 30, and in substance an)y point on the supplementar)r piston 11. are illustrated in Fig. 5, the explosion period being considered as the time from the beginning of the downward stroke of the piston 13 under explosion to the time when the exhaust is opened. the. exhaust period from the time of the open- Ato explosion. .the supplementar v piston 14 during the expression period as the time from tlu` closing of the inlet until the completion of the upward stmke of the piston. 13 inst previous lreferablv. the movement of plosion period is equally.. above 'and below the center of the axial component of such movement. so that such axial component during this explosion period will he the.`

greatest possible and the circumferential component the least possible for tha-tangle: in other words. such alxial component will be at the steepest descending part of the. sine curve expressing the law of suchl axial component. \l'ith the angles as gi veu above for the crank shaft 27. the eccenti-'ic portion IW at the beginning of the explosion period will be 210 above the horizontal on its downward stroke. as illustrated` this total movement of the eccentric Bllduring.. the explosion period being (30. rv this a-rrangement.. the force of the explosion within the cylinder. which force is transmitteddownward against th(l upper surface.ofjthepiston l?, and also against the upper surtzwe-of the supplementar'v piston ill; i-sltrausmitted from the main pistonlrllthroughfthe"pituian '23 directlv vtothe ernkY shaft "27. and from the supplementarv piston .l-t' through the (langes 3l. thezarni 32h-.the -collar 211. the suppleuu-ntary piston shaft.` 2S. and the gearing l to such crankshaft and the movement of thesupplementarv, piston 1l is the greatest possible for the angle corre-v sponding to the explosion period. in the illustrative case given being' one-half the total axial movement of said` second piston. l reason of the action of the explosion against the upper surface of 'the supplementar v pistoiull. and the resultant transmission of the force thereoflto the crank shaft Zh/the clicienci-'of the engine is materially increased. because more complete expansion is obtained with the same ad- Vance of exhaust necessary for the complete exhaustion of the burnt. gases on high speed.

ln the arrangementshown in Fig. the c vlinder 10. thi` inlet. and exhaust ports 11. and ll. the piston 13. the second or supplementa r-v piston 14. the inlet port 15. the depressed cylinder head 17. and the spark plug 21 are provided as before. but the inlet. port 11 is arranged in a lower horizontal plane than the exhaust port 1Q. instead of in a higher horizontal `plane as in the arrangement shown in lfig. 1. the exhaust port 1F is omitted and the exhaust allowed to he over the upper end of the supplementary. piston 1l. theI depressed piston head 17 is spaced from the inner surface of the supple.-

mentary piston Il to pro\"ide a complete annular eoinniuiiieatioii hetween the annulai space lf' and' the spaee within the cilinder. and the sullplenleiitari' piston 14 is provided with a -piston riiiL1r l() to iiisure'tight joints- Tllis; piston rin;r is shown in perspeetive iii Fig. Il. heini;r split. preferably diagonally. to allow expansion'. hein;r providedV with :i port l5' to eorifesl'lolid with the inlet port 17 iii the su|ipleinentaii' piston lifv proper. and liein r preveiitei'l from relative rotation ou the su|illeilieii(':ii1 piston ll ln' ineaiis of pins -whieli pass through holesl -ll iii the rin;r Hl and into oi' through the pistou l-l. rl`lle relative timingr of the uiaiii pistou y13 Aand sup|llenieiitari pistou l-lis siihstautiallv the sanie as inthe arrangement shown in Fig. l. theportsvl and `1.`|'.ii the suppleilieiilari' piston l-l and its'piston rin;r l0 hein;r so loi-ated that tlie will register with the iillet port or ports ll of the e \linder l0 duringr the inlet-pei^iod of the eyele of operation. Iii the arrangement shown in l `i L. as in tlieai'rangen'lent shown in Vig. l.` the foree of the explosion within the evliiidei' is partly against the upper siiifaee olii the supplementary.piston 14. and the fori-e of s'ueli explosion is transniitted. h vthe. saiiie or equivalent connections as shown in Fig. l` fi-oiirsiiehpiston 14 to the erank sliai'tj to assist the iiiaiii'pistoii ll iii driviiigsueh ei'aiih shaft. i i

l elaiiii as illy iiii'entio'ii2 e Y l. il internal `eonihustion engine. eoulprising :i e \'lii'idei'.`a' iiiaiii piston reeiproeaille therein. a'suppleiiieiitary piston interposed lietweeii the uiaiii piston and the erliiideijaild also reeiproeahle .iii f-faid ei'liiider. said seeoildpiston hein;r geared .o the iiiain 40 piston to iiiake one complete reciproeatii'in for two eoiiiplete reeiproeatioi'is ot the iliain liston and also to have a eiz-euuifereutial 'uioi'einellltt Said ei'linder li-ing" proiided with ports w'llieh are .eorered and '.ineofered li the niort-nient of said suppleiiieiztai^ pistoirand the end surface of said suppleiiieiitary piston hein.;r open to the spaee within the. cylinder so that the said suppl-uieiitary piston as well as the inaiii piston is 4irted on in' the force of the explosion within the e-\'l iiider. i

2. .\n internal coiiil-iiistion engine. eoiiiprisiiigi a cylinder. a iliain piston reeiproi-a lile therein. Va suppleiiientaryflpistoil also re eiproealile iu lsaid cylinder. said seeoiid pis- ,ton beingr geared to the iiiaii piston to ieiake. on@v (-Oniplete reeipioeatioll for two complete reeiproeations of the uiaiii pist-iin and also to liai'e a eireuinferential iilo\'eii'ie.nt. said cylinder beingr provided with ports .\'liieh are eoi'eied `and uncovered h r ille Aiiiorenient oi" Said snppleineiitar'.` piston and the end surface of said suppleii'ielitary piston he ing' open to the spaee within the cylinder so that the said supplementary pistol'. as well as the inaiii piston is acted on hi' the foret: of the explosion within the ejfl-iuder.

.\n internal eoiiiluilstionA engine. eoiilprisiiig'li ei'liider. a niain piston l'eeipi-oea lile therein. a su]pleinentziiw piston interposed het weeli the illaiii piston-and the e.\'l iiider and also reeiproeallle in said A-`\'li|ider,

and connections between-said supi'lleilientaryV piston and the iiiaiii pistou tti-eauseisaid suppleiiieiitary piston to iiiali'e one eoniplete i iei'iproeatioii. for two eolnplete i'eeiproeations of ille iiiain piston. the ei'id snitaeeot' said suppleiiientary Apiston heiner open to the spare within the ei'linder so that the supplenientar piston aswell asitlie inain piston eipi'oeallle iii sai-il Cylinder. and eoniieetionslietweeii said seeoiulpistou andthe lniaill piston lo eanse saidl seeondypiston to ilialie one. eoniplete reeiproeatioilfor twoeoni-plete ref ei|.lroeatiilins of the iiiaiii piston. t-lie ei'iidnsur-Y fz-lee of said supplenieiitarheing. open tothe spziee -witliiii'tl i l .l 'e \'li'iiilerl so `that the saidsuppleineutaiy `pistoii'as:well

'as the iiiain pistoniisaetZedoii hy tlieforee.. `of the explosion' Vwithin 1li-'efe'. v I l said eoiineetions eausin;r th'eaxi-al iiuiiiieinei of said seeo'ild piston to he sul'istaiitialli' in,"

aeeordanee with the law of sines-and'tlie part ot' slleli nio\'eiiielit during'y the explosion period of the engine heile;r at-snlistantialti` the steepest part of the sine euer-e.

. '.\n internal eoni'liustioli engine` eniliA prisiill a eyliiidei. .i iliaiii piston reeiproea lile therein. a ei'ank shaft eoiineeted to said pistou. a supplementary piston interposed hetween said first piston and said e \'lindel" aild lnorahle relatively to the e \'li nder. said eylinder hein;r provided with ports which are eo\'eredvaiid uiieorered ln' sueli nioreiileiit of Said suppleiiientar)1 piston. a shaft fea red to said eranli shaft to rotate at half the 'speed of the: latter. said Seeond shaft having an eeeentrie portion and a eoiineetion between said eeeeiitifie portion and said supplementary piston for eonstrainiir;r the latter to more hotli axially alid eireiiiiiferentially. the end of said suppleiiientar)v piston hefiimr exposed to the foree of explosions within the cylinder.

(i. .\n internal eoinlnistion engine` eomprisiiigr a e \'linder. a iiiain piston reciprocalile therein. a eraiil( Shaft eo'iuieeted to said piston.A a supplementary piston movable. relatively to the Cylinder, said e \'linde.r heilig provided with ports which are covered and uncovered by such movement of said supplementary pistou, a shaft geared to said crank shaft to rotate at half the speed of the latter, said second shaft having an eccentric portion, and a connection between said eccentric portion and `said supplementary piston for constraining the latter to move both axially andcircumferentially, the end of said supplementary piston being exposed to the force of explosions within the cylinder.

i'. An internal colnbustion engine, coin- )rising a cylinder, a main piston reciprocale therein, a crank shaft connected to said piston, a unitary supplementary piston interposed between said first piston ,and said cylinder and movable relatively to the cylinder, said cylinder being provided with inlet and exhaust ports, and said supplementary pistou being cut away so that by its movements it can cover both the inlet and the exhaust ports nonsynchronously but not synchronously and can uncover them nonsynchronously but not synchronously, a shaft geared to said crank shaft to rotate at half the speed of the latter, said second shaft having an eccentric portion, and a connection between said eccentric portion and said supplementary piston for constraining the latter to iuove axially and in its movements to cover said ports nonsynchnonously and to uncover them nonsynchronously, the end of said supplementary piston being exposed to the force of explosions within the cylinder.

S. An internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a main piston reciprocable therein, a crank shaft connected to said piston, a unitary supplementary piston movable-relatively to the cylinder, said cylindei" being provided with inlet and exhaust ports, and said supplementary vpiston being cut away so that by its movements it can cover both the inlet and the exhaust ports nonsynchronously but not synchronously and can uncover them nonsynchronously but not synchronously, a shaft geared to said crank shaft to rotate. at half the speed of the latter, said secondshaft having an eccentric portion, and a connection between said eccentric portion andl said supplementary piston for constraining the latter to move axially and in its movements to cover said ports nonsynclironously and to uncover them nonsynchronously, the end of said supplementary piston being exposed to the force of explosions within the cylinder.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a 4fixed cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a head fixed to said cylinder and projecting thereinto and being spaced from the inner Wall thereof, a second cylinder slidable. within said first cylinder and telescoping with said head, the space between the endf of said second cylinder and said head communicating with the space within said second cylinder, a piston working within said second cylinder, a crank shaft to which said piston is connected, and means operatively connecting said second cylinder with said crank shaft for constraining the former to move both circumferentially and axially in a definite cycle relative to the movements of the piston to control such ports and for transmitting to said crank shaft the force of explosions against the end of said second cylinder.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a fixed cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a head fixed to said cylinder, a second cylinder slidable within said first cylinder, the space between the end of said second cylinder and said head communicating with the space within said second cylinder, a piston working within said second cylinder, a crank shaft to which said piston is connected, and means operatively connecting said second cylinder with said crank shaft for constraining the former to move both circumferentially and axially in a definite cycle relative to the movements of the piston to control such ports and for transmitting to said crank shaft the force of explosions against the end of said second cylinder.

11. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a fixed cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a head fixed to said cylinder, a second cylinder slidable within said first cylinder, the space between the end of said second cylinder and said head communicating with the space within said second cylinder, a piston working within said second cylinder, a crank shaft to which said piston is connected, means operatively connecting said second cylinder with said crank shaft for constraining the former to move in a definite cycle relative to the movements of the piston and for transmitting to said crank shaft the force of explosions against the end of said second cylinder, the cycle of movement of said second cylinder including axial movement relative to the first cylinder substantially in accordance with the. law of sines, and such movement during the explosion period of the engine being at the steepest part of the time curve expressing such law.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a fixed cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a head fixed to said cylinder, a second cylinder slidable within said first cylinder, the space between the end of said second Cylinder and said head communicating with the space within said second cylinder, a piston working within said second cylinder, a crank shaft to which said piston is connected, means operatively connecting said second cylinder with said crank shaft for constraining the former to move in a definite cycle relative to the movements of the piston and for transmitting to said crank shaft the force of explosions against the end of said second cylinder, the c vcle of movement of vsaid second cylinder including axial movement relative to the. first cylinder, and such movement duringr the explosion period of the engine beingr at the most rapid part ot such axial movement.

135. .ln an internal combustion exigirle, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein in a four-stroke cycle, a second-piston reciprocable in said cylinder. and vconnected to said Iirst piston so as to make one-half the number of reciprocations ofthe latter, both of said pistons being exposed to the axial force of explosions in the cylinder, and inlet and exhaust conduits, said second piston having portions which as saidvsecontl piston is moved produce both the opening and the closin; r of both the inlet and the exhaust conduits. l

14. ln an internal combustion engine,the combination of a fixed cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a head fixed to said cylinder, a second cylinder slidable within said tirst cylinder, the'space be'- tween the end of. said second cylinder and said head communicating with the vspacewithin said second cylinder', a piston working within said second cylinder', acrank shaft to which said piston is connected, and means operatively connecting 'said second cylinder with said crank shaft for constraining the former to move in a definite cycle relative .to the movements of the piston and for transmitting to said crank shaft the force of explosions against the end ofA said second cylinder, the'cycle of movement of said second cylinder including `both `axial and circumferential movementrelative to said lirst. cylinder and the movement of the secondcylinder controlling the opening and closing of the inlet and. exhaust ports in said first cylinder.

'15. An internal combustion engine, comprisiner a cylinder, a main piston reciprocable therein, a supplementary piston interposed between the, main piston and the cylinder and also reciprocable in said cylinder, said second piston being geared to the main piston to make one complete reciprocation for two complete reciprocations of the main piston, said cylinder being provided with inlet and exhaust ports and said supplen'ientary piston` being provided with portions which cover and uncover such in-V let and exhaust ports as such supplementary piston is moved and which form the sole controlling means for such inlet and exhaust ports, and the end surface of said supplementary piston being open to the space within the cylinder so that said supplenientary piston as well as the main piston` is acted on by the force of the explosion within the-cylinder.

16. An internal combustion engine, comprisingr a cylinder, a main piston reciprocable therein. a supplementary piston also reciprocable in said cylinder, said second piston being geared to the main piston to make one complete reciprocation for two complete reciproeations of the u'iaiirpiston, said cylinder being provided ,with inlet and exhaust ports and said sln'iplementary piston being provided with portions' which cover and uncover such inlet and exhaust ports as such supplementary piston is moved and which form the sole controlling means for such inlet and exhaust ports, and the end surface of said supl'ile-inentary piston being open to the lspace within the. cylinder so that said supplementary piston .as well as the main piston is acted on by the force of explosion within the cylinder.

.17. The combination of a crank case, a crank shaft, amain piston, a connecting rod, a cylinder. a. hollow pistonA surrounding the 'main piston and means for allowing both to go down during the working stroke transmitting power to both the crank shaft and countershaft, and means for reciprocating and oscillating the hollow' piston during its cycle so that the ports will register with thel ports in cylinder. l

In witness whereof, I have. 'hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this tenth day of Februziry, A. D. one thousand `nine hundred and fourteen.

JULES .HALTENBERGEIL izo 

